Harness-coupling



(No Model.)

F. M. BORING.

HARNESS COUPLING.

No. 852,219. Patented N0v.-9, 1886.

"*1 1 HJWfl UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFI E.

FRANK M. BORING, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

HARNESS-COUPLING.

SBFECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,219, dated November 9, 186

Application filed August 24, 1885. Serial No. 175,206. (No model.)

- Improvementsin Harness-Couplings, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to provide a cheap, simple, and effective device wherewith the Various parts of harness, &c.,can be instantly coupled together in the most secure manner, the preferred construction of said device being as follows: Two separate plates, ears, or other members are arranged so-as to be securely attached to the partsof the har-. ness to be coupled together, one of said ears or plates being furnished with a short tube, socket, or keeper, slotted longitudinally on one side, and provided with a notch or pocket either at the top or bottom of said tube. This part of the device constitutes what may be called the female member, inasmuch as the tubularportion of the same is adapted to receive a shank projecting from the male member of the coupling. The aforesaid male member includes one of the plates or cars, a

suitable spring or its equivalent and a lug that projects laterally from the shank, said ear, shank, and lug being preferably made of a single piece of metal. Owing tdthis construction of the male and female members of the coupling, the lug can be caused to traverse the longitudinal slot of the tube, and as soon as it has passed completely through the same the shank is turned-until said lug is in line with thenotch or pocket of said tube. At this moment the spring exerts its force and retracts the shank sufiiciently to cause the lug to engage with the notch, and thereby prevent accidental uncoupling of the device, as hereinafter more fully described.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is afront elevation showing the male and female mempair of straps and coupled together. Fig. 4 is a plan of the same. Fig. 5 shows a modifica, tion of my invention in a detached condition. Fig. 6 shows this form of the device coupled together. Fig. 7 is an enlarged transversesection of the female member, the lug of the-shank of the male member being inserted in the slot of said female member. Figs. 8 and 9 show other modifications of my invention.

- A and B represent, respectively, two plates, ears, or equivalent attaching devices capable of being riveted or otherwise secured to. those parts of a harness that require to be speedily fastened together, said ear A being provided with a keeper or tube, 0, slotted longitudinally at D, and having at its inner end a notch or pocket, E. These devices A O D E are usually made of a single piece of metal, and constitute the female member of the coupling. Projecting from the other plate or ear, B, is a shank, F, adapted to readily enter the bore of tube 0, said shank having at one end a laterally-projecting lug, G, capable of traversing the slot D of said tube. The opposite end of this shank carries a coiled spring, H, the fixed extremity of which is seated in a pit, I, on the more, it is preferred to corrugate or roughen the rear side of each of the ears, as seen at J, so as to afford avery effective hold on the strap or reins or other part of a harness. vices B F G are generally made of one piece of metal, and, in conjunction with the spring H, constitute the male member of the coupling. To illustrate the operation of this form of my invention, I will suppose that the two ears A B have been fastened to the meeting ends of a pair of straps, or at the hand-holds of a pair of lines or reins or other parts of a harness, K K, and that it is desired to unite these members K K. To accomplish this result the member K is first turned or twisted so as to bring its ear B to the horizontal position seen in Fig. 2, and thereby cause the shank-lug G to be in line with the slot D of tube 0. The male member B F G is now advanced for the purpose of causing the lug to traverse said slot, as seen in Fig. 7, and as soon as the shank F has passed completely through the tube and 4,

said lug emerged at the inner end of the latter the ear is turned so as to present this lug rear side of plate B, as seen in Fig. 2. Further- These de- IOO upwardly. By this time the loose extremity of spring H has been brought in contact with the outer end of tube 0, thereby imparting considerable tension to said spring, which tension is sufficient to cause a slight retraction of the male member, and thus compel the lug G to engage with the notch or pocket E, as more clearly seen in Fig. 4. Consequently the male and female members are 110w securely coupled together, and cannot be separated until the shank F is intentionally advanced, the lug G disengaged from the pocket E, and said shank then turned so as to allow said lug to be slipped out of the slot 0. These various movements cannot occur accidentally, because the spring H retains the lug Gso securely within the notch E as to prevent the male and female members being uncoupled either by the movements of the horse or the shifting of theharness. Furthermore, when the coupling is thus united, the abutting ends of the straps K K make a very closejoint, as seen at k in Fig. 4.

In the modification seen in Fig. 5 the shank F and a bow or loop, L, are integral with the ear A, and the lug G projects downwardly from said shank, and is adapted to engage with the notch E on the under side of the slotted tube G D, the latter being made in one piece with the other ear, B. These ears are designed for attachment to the opposite ends of abreaststrap after said strap has been cut in two at the horses swallow, the martingale being in this case passed down through the loop L. In Fig. 8 the shank F projects from a ring or eye, M, to which latter a rope trace may be fastened; but in Fig. 9 the shank is integral with a tubular socket, N, that can be fastened on the end of a leathern thong or band by means of rivets or wires passed through the holes in said socket. In these last two illustrations the spring is not shown; but it is to be understood, however, that the shanks seen in said Figs. 8 and 9 are to be provided either with springs or yielding cushions, or other resilient devices that will insure a prompt and effective engagement of the lug with the notch or equivalent detent of the female member of the coupling.

*1 claim as my invention- 1. The combination, in a coupling device, of a female member consisting of a notched and longitudinally slotted tube and a male member composed of a spring and a lugged shank, which latter is adapted to traverse said slotted tube and then be turned axially, so as to cause its lug to engage with the notch of the same, in the manner herein described.

2. The female coupling A G D E, in combination with the male coupling B F G, the shank F ofthe latter having a spring,H, coiled around a portion thereof, the fixed end of said spring being secured to the rear side of ear B, for the purpose herein described.

3. A coupling device consisting of the female member B C D E, male member A F G, spring H, and loop L, the latter being joined to the car A and shank F of the same, in the manner herein described, and for the purpose stated.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK M. BORING.

Witnesses:

J NO. HALLANAN, WALTER A. HALLANAN. 

